Numbers 11

1 It wasn't long before the people started to complain about how much they were suffering. When the Lord heard what they were saying, he became angry. Fire from the Lord burned them, destroying some on the edge of the camp.

וַיְהִי הָעָם כְּמִתְאֹנְנִים רַע בְּאׇזְנֵי יְהֹוָה וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהֹוָה וַיִּחַר אַפּוֹ וַתִּבְעַר־בָּם אֵשׁ יְהֹוָה וַתֹּאכַל בִּקְצֵה הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃

2 The people cried to Moses for help. He prayed to the Lord and the fire subsided.

וַיִּצְעַק הָעָם אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל מֹשֶׁה אֶל־יְהֹוָה וַתִּשְׁקַע הָאֵֽשׁ׃

3 So that place was named Taberah, because the fire from the Lord burned them.

וַיִּקְרָא שֵֽׁם־הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא תַּבְעֵרָה כִּֽי־בָעֲרָה בָם אֵשׁ יְהֹוָֽה׃

4 A group of troublemakers among them had such intense food cravings they affected the Israelites who started crying again, asking “Who's going to get us some meat to eat?

וְהָֽאסַפְסֻף אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבּוֹ הִתְאַוּוּ תַּאֲוָה וַיָּשֻׁבוּ וַיִּבְכּוּ גַּם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמְרוּ מִי יַאֲכִלֵנוּ בָּשָֽׂר׃

5 We think back to all the fish we ate in Egypt that didn't cost us anything, as well as the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic.

זָכַרְנוּ אֶת־הַדָּגָה אֲשֶׁר־נֹאכַל בְּמִצְרַיִם חִנָּם אֵת הַקִּשֻּׁאִים וְאֵת הָֽאֲבַטִּחִים וְאֶת־הֶחָצִיר וְאֶת־הַבְּצָלִים וְאֶת־הַשּׁוּמִֽים׃

6 We're fading away here! The only thing we ever see is this manna!”

וְעַתָּה נַפְשֵׁנוּ יְבֵשָׁה אֵין כֹּל בִּלְתִּי אֶל־הַמָּן עֵינֵֽינוּ׃

7 Manna looked like coriander seeds, light in color like gum resin.

וְהַמָּן כִּזְרַע־גַּד הוּא וְעֵינוֹ כְּעֵין הַבְּדֹֽלַח׃

8 The people would go out and collect it, grind it up in a mill or crush it in a mortar. Then they would boil it in a pot and make it into flatbread. It tasted like pastries made with the best olive oil.

שָׁטוּ הָעָם וְלָֽקְטוּ וְטָחֲנוּ בָרֵחַיִם אוֹ דָכוּ בַּמְּדֹכָה וּבִשְּׁלוּ בַּפָּרוּר וְעָשׂוּ אֹתוֹ עֻגוֹת וְהָיָה טַעְמוֹ כְּטַעַם לְשַׁד הַשָּֽׁמֶן׃

9 When the dew came down on the camp at night the manna would come down with it.

וּבְרֶדֶת הַטַּל עַל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶה לָיְלָה יֵרֵד הַמָּן עָלָֽיו׃

10 Moses heard all the families crying at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became very angry, and Moses was also upset.

וַיִּשְׁמַע מֹשֶׁה אֶת־הָעָם בֹּכֶה לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָיו אִישׁ לְפֶתַח אׇהֳלוֹ וַיִּֽחַר־אַף יְהֹוָה מְאֹד וּבְעֵינֵי מֹשֶׁה רָֽע׃

11 He asked the Lord, “Why have you made things so tough for me, your servant? Why are you so unhappy with me that you have placed on me the heavy responsibility for all these people?

וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־יְהֹוָה לָמָה הֲרֵעֹתָ לְעַבְדֶּךָ וְלָמָּה לֹא־מָצָתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ לָשׂוּם אֶת־מַשָּׂא כׇּל־הָעָם הַזֶּה עָלָֽי׃

12 Are they my children? Did I give birth to them, so you could tell me, ‘Hold them close to your chest like a nurse carrying a baby’ and take them to the land you promised to give to their forefathers?

הֶאָנֹכִי הָרִיתִי אֵת כׇּל־הָעָם הַזֶּה אִם־אָנֹכִי יְלִדְתִּיהוּ כִּֽי־תֹאמַר אֵלַי שָׂאֵהוּ בְחֵיקֶךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר יִשָּׂא הָאֹמֵן אֶת־הַיֹּנֵק עַל הָֽאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לַאֲבֹתָֽיו׃

13 Where am I supposed to get meat for all of them? They keep on complaining to me, ‘Get us some meat to eat!’

מֵאַיִן לִי בָּשָׂר לָתֵת לְכׇל־הָעָם הַזֶּה כִּֽי־יִבְכּוּ עָלַי לֵאמֹר תְּנָה־לָּנוּ בָשָׂר וְנֹאכֵֽלָה׃

14 I can't go on carrying all these people by myself—it's just too much.

לֹֽא־אוּכַל אָנֹכִי לְבַדִּי לָשֵׂאת אֶת־כׇּל־הָעָם הַזֶּה כִּי כָבֵד מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

15 If this is the way you're going to treat me, then please just kill me now so I don't have to face how depressed I've become. Please grant me this one request.”

וְאִם־כָּכָה ׀ אַתְּ־עֹשֶׂה לִּי הׇרְגֵנִי נָא הָרֹג אִם־מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ וְאַל־אֶרְאֶה בְּרָעָתִֽי׃

16 The Lord told Moses, “Bring before me seventy Israelite elders who you know are repected as leaders by the people Take them to the Tent of Meeting. They will stand there with you.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה אֶסְפָה־לִּי שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־הֵם זִקְנֵי הָעָם וְשֹׁטְרָיו וְלָקַחְתָּ אֹתָם אֶל־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְהִֽתְיַצְּבוּ שָׁם עִמָּֽךְ׃

17 I will come down and talk with you there. I will take some of the Spirit you have and give it to them. They will take some of the responsibility for the people so you won't have to bear it alone.

וְיָרַדְתִּי וְדִבַּרְתִּי עִמְּךָ שָׁם וְאָצַלְתִּי מִן־הָרוּחַ אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיךָ וְשַׂמְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶם וְנָשְׂאוּ אִתְּךָ בְּמַשָּׂא הָעָם וְלֹא־תִשָּׂא אַתָּה לְבַדֶּֽךָ׃

18 Tell the people: Purify yourselves, for tomorrow you'll have meat to eat, because you were complaining and the Lord heard you saying, ‘Who's going to get us some meat to eat? We were better off in Egypt!’ So the Lord is going to provide you with meat to eat.

וְאֶל־הָעָם תֹּאמַר הִתְקַדְּשׁוּ לְמָחָר וַאֲכַלְתֶּם בָּשָׂר כִּי בְּכִיתֶם בְּאׇזְנֵי יְהֹוָה לֵאמֹר מִי יַאֲכִלֵנוּ בָּשָׂר כִּי־טוֹב לָנוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם וְנָתַן יְהֹוָה לָכֶם בָּשָׂר וַאֲכַלְתֶּֽם׃

19 You're going to eat it, not for just a day or two, and not for five or ten or twenty days.

לֹא יוֹם אֶחָד תֹּאכְלוּן וְלֹא יוֹמָיִם וְלֹא ׀ חֲמִשָּׁה יָמִים וְלֹא עֲשָׂרָה יָמִים וְלֹא עֶשְׂרִים יֽוֹם׃

20 You're going to eat it for a whole month until it makes you vomit and it comes out through your nostrils, because you have rejected the Lord who is right here with you, complaining to him by saying, ‘Why on earth did we ever leave Egypt?’”

עַד ׀ חֹדֶשׁ יָמִים עַד אֲשֶׁר־יֵצֵא מֵֽאַפְּכֶם וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְזָרָא יַעַן כִּֽי־מְאַסְתֶּם אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבְּכֶם וַתִּבְכּוּ לְפָנָיו לֵאמֹר לָמָּה זֶּה יָצָאנוּ מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃

21 But Moses replied, “Here I am with 600,000 people and you're telling me, ‘I'm going to give them meat and they'll eat it for a month’?

וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה שֵׁשׁ־מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף רַגְלִי הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי בְּקִרְבּוֹ וְאַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ בָּשָׂר אֶתֵּן לָהֶם וְאָכְלוּ חֹדֶשׁ יָמִֽים׃

22 Even if all our flocks and herds were slaughtered, would that be enough for them? Even if all the fish in the sea were caught, would that be enough for them?”

הֲצֹאן וּבָקָר יִשָּׁחֵט לָהֶם וּמָצָא לָהֶם אִם אֶֽת־כׇּל־דְּגֵי הַיָּם יֵאָסֵף לָהֶם וּמָצָא לָהֶֽם׃

23 “Doesn't the Lord have the power to do that?” the Lord responded. “Now you're going to find out whether what I've said will happen or not!”

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה הֲיַד יְהֹוָה תִּקְצָר עַתָּה תִרְאֶה הֲיִקְרְךָ דְבָרִי אִם־לֹֽא׃

24 Moses went and shared with the people what the Lord said. He summoned seventy elders of the people and had them stand around the tent.

וַיֵּצֵא מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל־הָעָם אֵת דִּבְרֵי יְהֹוָה וַיֶּאֱסֹף שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ מִזִּקְנֵי הָעָם וַֽיַּעֲמֵד אֹתָם סְבִיבֹת הָאֹֽהֶל׃

25 Then the Lord came down and talked to him. The Lord took some of the Spirit Moses had and gave it to them. They prophesied, but this didn't ever happen again.

וַיֵּרֶד יְהֹוָה ׀ בֶּעָנָן וַיְדַבֵּר אֵלָיו וַיָּאצֶל מִן־הָרוּחַ אֲשֶׁר עָלָיו וַיִּתֵּן עַל־שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ הַזְּקֵנִים וַיְהִי כְּנוֹחַ עֲלֵיהֶם הָרוּחַ וַיִּֽתְנַבְּאוּ וְלֹא יָסָֽפוּ׃

26 However, two men named Eldad and Medad had stayed behind in the camp. The Spirit came on them too. (They had been put on the list of the seventy elders, but they hadn't gone to the tent. But they prophesied where they were in the camp anyway.)

וַיִּשָּׁאֲרוּ שְׁנֵֽי־אֲנָשִׁים ׀ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶה שֵׁם הָאֶחָד ׀ אֶלְדָּד וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִי מֵידָד וַתָּנַח עֲלֵהֶם הָרוּחַ וְהֵמָּה בַּכְּתֻבִים וְלֹא יָצְאוּ הָאֹהֱלָה וַיִּֽתְנַבְּאוּ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃

27 A young lad ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

וַיָּרׇץ הַנַּעַר וַיַּגֵּד לְמֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמַר אֶלְדָּד וּמֵידָד מִֽתְנַבְּאִים בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃

28 Joshua, son of Nun, who had been Moses' assistant since he was young, reacted, saying, “Moses, my lord, you have to stop them!”

וַיַּעַן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן מְשָׁרֵת מֹשֶׁה מִבְּחֻרָיו וַיֹּאמַר אֲדֹנִי מֹשֶׁה כְּלָאֵֽם׃

29 “Are you jealous for my reputation?” Moses replied. “I wish that every one of the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would give his Spirit to all of them!”

וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מֹשֶׁה הַֽמְקַנֵּא אַתָּה לִי וּמִי יִתֵּן כׇּל־עַם יְהֹוָה נְבִיאִים כִּי־יִתֵּן יְהֹוָה אֶת־רוּחוֹ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

30 Then Moses went back to the camp with the elders of Israel.

וַיֵּאָסֵף מֹשֶׁה אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶה הוּא וְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

31 The Lord sent a wind that blew quail in from the sea and deposited them near the camp. They covered the ground to a depth of about two cubits and extended for a day's journey in every direction from the camp.

וְרוּחַ נָסַע ׀ מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה וַיָּגׇז שַׂלְוִים מִן־הַיָּם וַיִּטֹּשׁ עַל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶה כְּדֶרֶךְ יוֹם כֹּה וּכְדֶרֶךְ יוֹם כֹּה סְבִיבוֹת הַֽמַּחֲנֶה וּכְאַמָּתַיִם עַל־פְּנֵי הָאָֽרֶץ׃

32 All through that day and night, and all through the next day, the people went on collecting the quail. Everyone collected at least ten homers, and they spread them out to dry all around the camp.

וַיָּקׇם הָעָם כׇּל־הַיּוֹם הַהוּא וְכׇל־הַלַּיְלָה וְכֹל ׀ יוֹם הַֽמׇּחֳרָת וַיַּֽאַסְפוּ אֶת־הַשְּׂלָו הַמַּמְעִיט אָסַף עֲשָׂרָה חֳמָרִים וַיִּשְׁטְחוּ לָהֶם שָׁטוֹחַ סְבִיבוֹת הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃

33 But while the people were still biting into the meat, before they even chewed it down, the Lord showed his burning anger against them, killing some of them with a severe disease.

הַבָּשָׂר עוֹדֶנּוּ בֵּין שִׁנֵּיהֶם טֶרֶם יִכָּרֵת וְאַף יְהֹוָה חָרָה בָעָם וַיַּךְ יְהֹוָה בָּעָם מַכָּה רַבָּה מְאֹֽד׃

34 They named that place Kibroth-hattaavah, because that was where they buried the people who had these intense food cravings.

וַיִּקְרָא אֶת־שֵֽׁם־הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא קִבְרוֹת הַֽתַּאֲוָה כִּי־שָׁם קָֽבְרוּ אֶת־הָעָם הַמִּתְאַוִּֽים׃

35 Then they moved on from Kibroth-hattaavah to Hazeroth, where they stayed for some time.

מִקִּבְרוֹת הַֽתַּאֲוָה נָסְעוּ הָעָם חֲצֵרוֹת וַיִּהְיוּ בַּחֲצֵרֽוֹת׃